temp

temp — noun

1. A person who is employed by a company on a short-term basis, often covering for

1.nounB1
Definition

A person who is employed by a company on a short-term basis, often covering for a regular worker who is away or helping during particularly busy periods.

Example

The office hired a temp to cover for Talia while she was on maternity leave.

hire a temp + purpose (to cover for someone)

Mark worked as a temp at several different law firms before finding a permanent job.

work as a temp + location

Common collocations
  • temp agency
  • work as a temp
  • hire a temp
  • temp job
  • bring in a temp
  • send a temp
  • temp staff
Synonyms
  • temporary worker

    Full form of 'temp'; slightly more formal.

  • contractor

    Usually hired for a specific project with a defined end date, often self-employed.

  • stand-in

    Emphasizes replacing someone temporarily; common in performance or role contexts.

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

a + temp

temp + noun (as modifier)

temp — verb

temp — abbreviation

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

"Temp" is the most common word for someone hired through an agency to fill a short-term office need, often covering absences or extra workload. "Temporary worker" is its full form and sounds slightly more formal. "Contractor" differs in scope — contractors are usually self-employed, hired for a defined project with their own terms, rather than placed by an agency for general office cover. "Stand-in" emphasizes the act of replacing a specific person for a short event (e.g., a stand-in actor on a film set). "Substitute" is used for teachers or sports players who step in temporarily and often share the same qualifications. A temp might answer phones for a week; a substitute teaches a class; a contractor builds a website.

temp ↗temporary workercontractor ↗stand-insubstitute

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • on a temp basis
  • temp-to-perm
  • temp assignment

Prepositions

  • as a temp
  • temp for
  • temp at
  • temp in

Etymology

LatinEnglish

"Temp" is a shortening of "temporary", which entered English from Latin "temporarius" (lasting for a time), itself from "tempus" (time). The noun sense referring to a temporary worker became common in the early 20th century as office temp agencies grew. The abbreviation sense "temp." in citations comes directly from Latin "tempore", the ablative form of "tempus" (time), meaning "in the time of".